Broadway Ke Java 2016 Producer’s Note (uncut)

I was asked to write a producer’s note for the program book of Broadway ke Java 2016 (more about that in a later post, hopefully). Thanks to insomnia and overall restlessness I stayed up till the break of dawn to compose a rather lengthy note. Alas, as all former journalists should have anticipated, our words are limited by the available space in the layout, only a third of the text got to be printed. I decided to publish the note in its complete form here, just because…

Jack of many things, master of mediocre management, I have made peace with the fact that my forte actually lies in not knowing how to say no or when to quit. Neither an exceptional singer, actor nor dancer, I am now surrounded by triple threats and aspiring performers due to an impulsive decision I made two years ago when JPAC held auditions for BKJ 2014. Someone announced that they were ready for the next person to be interviewed as crew, so I sat down and did it, despite the fact that I was just there to support a friend. And now, six productions later, having been involved in five of them on and off the stage, I can certainly say that I have learned a lot from this community, from opening curtains, saying no to divas, to being more comfortable with my head voice.

Handling any musical theater production is a great challenge on its own, but taking over as the producer of JPAC’s largest production to date with six weeks left on the clock was a a Herculean task, to say the least. Thankfully I received great support from the Executive Director and Co-producer along with all the directors, cast, crew as well as JPAC members and board members, along with our sponsors, media partners and also my exceptionally understanding and helpful family and friends. I am grateful for each and every assistance, favor and assurance that they have so generously provided me. I realize there are still many things that I should have done to reach the full potential of this show, yet one of the biggest lesson BKJ2016 has taught me is about being realistic without compromising quality.

The past 3 months have been one helluva ride for all of us, relationships are formed, reaffirmed, tested and rediscovered. Life is short, but I have no regrets in spending a chunk of my time with you. This was certainly a team effort, we couldn’t have done it without us, and now let us all, cast, crew and audience, experience the magic of live theater, for each moment is literally once in a lifetime.